African Police Resource Network

Mozambique

Country Background
Mozambique gained its independence from Portugal in 1975 and has been plagued by a civil war from 1977 to 1992.  But by 1989, Frente de Libertacao de Mocambique (FRELIMO) – the ruling party – abandoned Marxist doctrine to, amongst other things, promote negotiations with its opposition Resistencia Nacional de Mocambique (RENAMO).  A new constitution was drafted and enacted in 1990, allowing for multiparty elections.  Fighting seized in 1992 after a UN-negotiated peace agreement with rebel forces.  National elections were held again in 1999, with FRELIMO remaining in power.  The country is, however, divided between FRELIMO and RENAMO parties with riots taking place after the 1999 election between the members of the two parties.  President Armando Emilio Guebuza is currently in power.

Mozambique Police
The Police Force of the Republic of Mozambique (PRM), the Criminal Investigation Police (PIC) and the Rapid Reaction Police (PIR), which is a paramilitary force, fall under the Ministry of the Interior.   The PRM is understaffed and has had to adapt to the task of fighting crime rather than performing a political function.  Constantly there have been many reports of police abusing their power, and 1,000 police force members have been removed from the force since 1995 for excessive use of firearms, selling their guns and homicide.  The police force in Mozambique has been described as “not consistently subject to the law, nor…adequately accountable, accessible, impartial, representative or transparent.”

Extract from:
Berg, J. (2005) Mozambique Policing Oversight In Overview of plural policing oversight in select Southern African Development (SADC) countries. Cape Town: Institute of Criminology, University of Cape Town.

Please find a list of all documents in our database relevant to Mozambique. Use the checkbox next to each line to expand more detail about the file, including the option to download.

Category	Date	Title	Detail
Country Websites	2007	The World Factbook: Mozambique
Description: Uptodate information giving an overview of the country, its geography, demographics, government, economy, communications, transportation and military. A map is included. Author: Central Intelligence Agency Source: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/mz.html
Crime Information and Statistics	2003	'Mozambique' in Gastrow, P.ed. Penetrating State and Business and Crime in Southern Africa: Volume 1
Description: "Today Mozambiques criminal justice system continues to be very fragile and under–resourced. There is a lack of political will to fight organised crime and corruption, and a general perception that some of the political elite are either involved in or are connected with organised crime. The police do not have the human or material capacity to control the coastline or land borders. Organised criminal groups have exploited this environment and have made the country a haven for international drug smuggling, in particular." Extract from Introduction. (Chapter 3) Author: Gastrow, P. & Mosse, M. Publisher: Pretoria: Institute for Security Studies. Monograph No 86 Source: http://www.issafrica.org/pubs/Monographs/No86/Chap3.htm
Legislation	1992	The Constitution of the Republic of Mozambique
Description: The Constitution stipulates that the President of the Republic shall have power to appoint, exonerate and dismiss the General Commander and Deputy General Commander of the Police Chapter 11 outlines the following: Article 254 1. The function of the Police, in collaboration with other State institutions, shall be to guarantee law and order, to safeguard the security of persons and property, to keep public peace and to ensure respect for the democratic rule of law and the strict observance of the fundamental rights and freedoms of citizens. 2. The Police shall not adhere to any particular party. 3. In the exercise of its functions, the Police shall owe obedience to the law and shall serve citizens and public and private institutions with impartiality and independence. Article 255 Command and Organisation 1. The Police of the Republic of Mozambique shall be headed by a Commander–General. 2. The law shall establish the general organisation of the Police and shall determine its branches, its functions, its structure and the rules regarding admission into the Police. Author: The Republic of Mozambique Source: http://confinder.richmond.edu/admin/docs/Constitution_(in_force_21_01_05)(English)-Mozlegal.pdf
Peace Agreements	1992	General Peace Agreement for Mozambique
Description: The General Peace Agreement signed in Rome in 1992 by the President of the Republic of Mozambique and the President of Renamo accepted as binding the following documents which constitute the General Peace Agreement: 1. Protocol I (Basic principles); 2. Protocol II (Criteria and arrangements for the formation and recognition of political parties): 3. Protocol III (Principles of the Electoral Act); 4. Protocol IV (Military questions); 5. Protocol V (Guarantees); 6. Protocol VI (ceasefire); 7. Protocol VII (Donors´ conference). They also accept as integral parts of the General Peace Agreement for Mozambique the following documents: (a) The Joint Communiqué of 10 July 1990; (b) The Agreement of 1 December 1990; (c) The Declaration of the Government of the Republic of Mozambique and Renamo on guiding principles for humanitarian assistance, signed in Rome on 16 July 1992; (d) The Joint Declaration signed in Rome on 7 August 1992. These are available full text on the following website: Source: http://www.c-r.org/our-work/accord/mozambique/rome-process.php
Peace Agreements	1992	Declaration by the Government of the Republic of Mozambique and RENAMO on the guiding principles for humanitarian assistance
Author: The Republic of Mozambique Source: http://www.usip.org/library/pa/mozambique/mozambique_07161992.html
Peace Agreements	1992	General Peace Agreement of Mozambique (GPA) (Protocol 4)
Description: The General Peace Agreement was signed at a meeting in Rome of Joaquim Alberto Chissano, President of the Republic of Mozambique and Afonso Macacho Marceta Dhlakama, President of Renamo. Protocol 4 has a section on the depoliticisation and restructuring of the police forces and the establishment of a National Police Affairs Commission which has an oversight role. Source: http://www.c-r.org/our-work/accord/mozambique/rome-protocol4.php
Policy	2003	Strategic Plan of the Police of the Republic of Mozambique Vol 2 SPRM 2003- 2012
Description: This document deals with the implementation of the development policy of the PRM that was identified in Volume I Strategy Plan of the Police of the Republic of Mozambique. Author: Minister of the Interior, Mozambique Government Source: http://www.policeaccountability.co.za/File_Uploads/docs/File_Download.asp?ThisFile=SPPRM.VolumeII.English.pdf
Policy	2003	Strategic Plan of the Republic of Mozambique - SPRM - 2003-2012. Volume 1
Description: The Strategic Plan provides a definition of the Police of the Republic of Mozambique´s vision, and where the PRM aspires to be in the next 10 years. The Mission of the PRM is provided as well as the strategic objectives, which aim to achieve the defined vision. Author: Ministry of the Interior, Republic of Mozammbique Source: http://www.policeaccountability.co.za/File_Uploads/docs/File_Download.asp?ThisFile=SPPRM.VolumeI.English.pdf
Publications	2003	Strategic Plan of the Police of the Republic of Mozambique Results of surveys on victimisation and police performance
Description: These results are of a victim survey done from 5 to 20 August 2002 within the framework of the International Crime Victim Survey (ICVS). The survey assessed citizens experience of crime; citizens experience of access to justice, policing, crime prevention, safety and security; perception of causes of crime; womens experiences and perceptions of crime; experiences and perceptions of Police Officers (PRM) about crime, working environment and job satisfaction amd experiences and perceptions of Public Employees about working environment and job satisfaction. Author: Alvazzi del Frate, A. et al (eds) Publisher: Turin: UNICRI Source: http://rechten.uvt.nl/icvs/StratPlanPRM/reports_en/StratPlanPRMengl.PDF
Publications	2004	Democratic Governance and Common Security in Southern Africa: Mozambique in Focus
Description: “This paper argues that the existence of a national security concept in Mozambique is not a straightforward assumption. Both the gaps in the legislation and the absence of a clear programme reinforce this view. Nonetheless, overall legislation informed by such a conception exists and accounts for democratic progress in the accountability and subordination of the security forces to the political power.” Author: Lala, A. Journal: SSRonline Journal of Security Sector Management 2(1). Source: http://www.ssronline.org/jofssm/issues/jofssm_0201_lala_mozambique.pdf?CFID=118313&CFTOKEN=70075060

 

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